Rodeo and Mutton Bustin'

Rodeo time in Houston is always a favorite time of year. Rodeo with the kids is so adorable and way fun! Hunter got to do Mutton Bustin' in the big arena this year! It was AWESOME! He was so tiny in big Reliant Stadium....with 70,000 people watching! He didn't have an ounce of fear and was so brave! The experience was so great! They suited him up, walked him down on the dirt, put him in the cage and off he went! Hunter is really growing more and more into a risk taker, brave, adventurous and confident! Scott, Trent and I got to walk down and get a close view. Macy, Grandpa, Greg, Drew and Kinsley were in the stands cheering.

After he did his run, I got tons of text messages from random people in the stands! "We just saw Hunter!!" It was awesome that so many people witnessed such a fun time for Hunter! Lots of Hunter's school friends, our old high school friends, and many more were proud to be there that night! Scott and I just couldn't get over how confident and mature he was in that big rodeo world! He got a trophy, belt buckle and a shirt. He wore the shirt to school on Monday, he was very proud to share his accomplishment!

They lined up the little kids, and one by one would put them in the cage with the sheep. They would announce their name, put their picture on the big screen and off they would go! The announcer said "here goes the next American Ninja Warrior, Hunter Monteverde!" Adorable! He told them he wants to be an American Ninja Warrior when he grows up! Well, he had a good ninja grip to show his skills. His sheep was huge and he got kicked to the side, but he held on!! He eventually hit the ground, but still didn't let go and was drug for a while! Determined little fella! Can you imagine being 5 years old in that huge stadium, 70,000 people cheering, all eyes on you!? He loved it!

The "behind the scenes" at the rodeo is pretty amazing. He got to be in the grand entrance wagon ride, which was so fun. Just the entire operation, details and logistics is unbelievable. So much work goes into the rodeo, it was neat to witness. This was a once in a lifetime experience for Hunter, and we enjoyed every moment! We hope to be able to get Trent in it next year. You have to be 4-5 years old, so Trent now really wants to do it!

To continue the rodeo fun, we have had school parties and more! Trent's school puts on an amazing rodeo night! Petting zoo, horse rides, games, food and prizes! Trent loves his friends, and he gets so excited to see them at school. He was just running from friend to friend, playing like a big boy! He is really in his element at school, which I am so happy to see! Faith Ann HATED the horses! She had an anxiety attack as we tried to put her on it. She may not be our country girl!

Trent is so sweet and has this quiet confidence that shines at school. He loved having all of us there. He was proud as he was showing us all his friends...he is so special! I love this boy too much! He enjoyed the horses, making smores and experiencing rodeo at his school! He is such a big boy...solid bones! He is a brick, and his size is really starting to show as he is around his friends. He is just 3, and he is almost as big as Hunter. They now wear the same clothes and continue to be inseparable.

Faith Ann...as I said above. She is not our country girl. She wanted nothing to do with the petting zoo or horses. She didn't even like the horse trailer! She was clinching onto us the entire night. However, she looks adorable in her red boots! She has this sweet sassy smile until a horse is close, then she freaks!

Then, we had rodeo at Hunter's school. They have Pre-K rodeo roundup. Full of games, stations, music and food. Hunter kept his eye on me and wanted me to see everything he was doing. We made our way to see Ally's country dancing performance. Rummel Creek is such a wonderful school that always includes the community and family!

Do you notice the red faces with Ally?? Yep, that night the stomach bug hit our entire family! Started with Faith Ann...then the rest of us just hours later. It was fast and furious. We were sick for about 6 hours, then it was gone! Thankfully, we had fast bounce back and returned to more rodeo fun! However, I did laundry for days to recover from the virus! That was a doosey!

Mutton Bustin' continues as the kids are always practicing! They take turns being the sheep! Here they are making the cage with the broomsticks. Trent is the gate opener, Hunter is the sheep and Faith Ann is the rider. This cracks me up! Action shot of her flying off his back! They are so creative and always have so much fun together. People ask me "what's your kids favorite app?" I say..."pine cones and dirt!" haha! We still do not have one app on my phone. I don't even get email on my phone. Scott has the old blackberry!! We do not have an ipad. We are not against any of that stuff, we just aren't there yet. For now...our kids love sticks, pine cones, brooms, dirt, trees, and being barefoot! So, we are keeping it simple as long as we can!

Our last rodeo party was in our neighborhood. We LOVE our neighborhood! We walked down the street for mechanical bull, games, food, music and dancing. We are continuing to make new friends, and we are just so happy here! That wraps up our Rodeo fun!! We are blessed with joys of new experiences, the love of our nurturing schools, and the comfort of our amazing neighborhood! Cheers to another great rodeo season!